The Gray Rose's Daughter
by A Memory Of Wings
Summary: Harry's 7th year. The whole gangs back, Harry's a hero, Ron's HB, and Luna....is odd. Or is she just more focused on the world than most people. And what happens when Harry falls for her? And what secret is she harboring in that strange mind of hers?
1. The Daughter

Harry sighed as he watched the Dursley's car drive away then turned pushing his cart through the train station towards Platform 9 3/4. Summer at the Dursleys had been better that year since they had all been afraid if they upset him a squad of wizards would burst in through the windows, walls, and (again) the fireplace. They were, of course, probably right since they had been threatened last year.  
  
Nonetheless, Harry really hadn't even had the time to worry about the Dursleys since the pang of Sirus' death was still there in him. Not to mention that owls by the tons had been seeking him out to bring letters from wizards and witches commending him on his bravery or apologizing for disbelief or congratulating him on "finally getting the Ministry to take their noses from the grindstone." What did they no about anything? Who cares about the Ministry? Sirus was gone.  
  
Harry looked around trying to spot Hermione or Ron. He hadn't been able to stay at the Burrow that year. It was too dangerous, what with Voldmort on the loose and ready to risk almost anything to get at him, Harry. Harry continued to scan the platform. He wasn't late, he knew. Maybe he was just too early.  
  
He sighed again and lifted his trunk onto the train and proceeded down it, searching for a compartment. Most were filled, the middle compartments mainly composed of scared looking First Years who jumped and stared in wonder as he passed but didn't say a word. Harry didn't give them an encouraging smile, as he would have last year, just hurried past and quickly as possible.  
  
'Sheep', he though a bit angrily. 'They're like sheep. First they're told I'm of my rocker and they show scorn, then suddenly I'm a hero. Just because the Daily Prophet tells them too.'  
  
He slid open the next compartment door a bit to hard and a bottom bit of glass shattered. Harry turned to survey the damage and a voice behind him spoke.  
  
"You really shouldn't slam the doors like that. If I was a door I wouldn't be at all happy with you at the moment." Harry turned to see Luna Lovegood sitting in a window seat in the otherwise empty compartment.  
  
Her dirty blonde hair was put up into two frizzed pigtails that hung to her elbows with blue tassels twisted in, the pig tails tied with what looked likes a twist of tiny little silver bells. In her lap lay a book her finger keeping the page as she regarded him with her misty eyes. His first instinct was to go. He didn't want to be alone with Loony Lovegood. Then he felt savage guilt twist in his stomach.  
  
'Her name is Luna', his conscience said firmly. And even if she was a bit.eccentric she didn't deserve to be snubbed. She was a good person. 'And someone you can connect to' the voice in his head said, although Harry had no idea why in the world he'd have a thought like that.  
  
"Ah...yea. Can I sit down?" Harry asked dragging his trunk over to the seat.  
  
"Go ahead. Just don't sit down to hard. Don't want the seats upset as well." She watched him sit slowly her gaze assessing and Harry squirmed uncomfortably.  
  
"So..did you uh...get all your stuff back?"  
  
Luna smiled "Most of it. Dad had to replace my Charms book and the earrings he brought me from Beijing. "  
  
Harry felt a spark of injustice. "You really shouldn't let people do things like that Luna. It's not right."  
  
Luna shrugged a bit absently. "Does it really make a difference? Besides, they're just things. They can be replaced."  
  
Harry frowned. "But still-"  
  
"You lost something that can't be replaced." Luna said her eyes sobering a bit although a kind of knowing countenance came back to them.  
  
Harry resisted the urge to yell at her and instead gritted his teeth and said angrily, "What does that have to do wi-"  
  
"It's not right either. As a matter of fact it's much worse since you can't replace what you lost. So who am I to complain over a couple of missing books and clothing when people loose irreplaceable, even more valuable things everyday." She dropped her attention down to the book in her lap.  
  
Harry blinked at her a bit shocked. "How can you do that?"  
  
She never lifted her dreamy gaze. "Do what?"  
  
"Not care what people say about you. And do to you."  
  
She turned a page engrossed. "Because I feel sorry for them. They goad into a media's view of what's normal. What should be expected. I think I'm fine the way I am, as long as what I am is true it shouldn't matter if people are blind too it." She smiled although Harry wasn't sure if it was at him or at something in the book since her full sense seemed focused on it. "You did it to so I'm a bit surprised you asked. I thought you knew already."  
  
She was right. Hadn't he done the same thing and ignored the ridicule. But he'd gotten upset about it. Visibly so and verbalized his anger to a number of people. Luna seemed oblivious and oddly serene even when she was laughed at to her face. Whereas Harry had to constantly fight down the urge to bash that mocking face in.  
  
"You think I'm strange to." Luna said, although it wasn't an accusation, just a simple statement of fact as if she were commenting on the weather. Harry resisted the defensive urge to lie and deny it. Luna looked up then. "It's alright. I don't blame you. Ginny thinks I'm odd to.." she lifted her book again "But she my best friend anyway."  
  
They lapsed into silence..Harry's thoughtful and Luna sunk into her book. The only sound was that of the train lurching forward suddenly and then a few minutes later Hermione, Ron, and Ginny's entrance into the compartment. 


	2. The Diary

"So what do you think they'll give us for a defense against the dark arts teacher this year?" Ron mused. "We haven't had a vampire yet."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous Ron." Hermione pushed her hair back over her shoulder "They wouldn't let a vampire into Hogwarts."  
  
"Geez, Herm. I was only joking."  
  
"Well it isn't something to be joked about. Things are serious now Ron and it's not times for you to be acting immature."  
  
Harry smiled to himself as he watched his friends slip of into another spat with each other. His eyes scanned absently around the Great Hall, the dim echo and bursts of cheers fading into the background in the wake of his thoughts. Dumbledor. A bitterness rose in him for a scant moment. Was he still angry with the aged man? Yes...a little but he still trusted Dumbledor all the same and that was something he couldn't understand. Dumbledor turned as if feeling Harry's gaze and looked directly at him and a small understanding smile twitched at his mouth and he inclined his head gracefully before returning attention to the placing of the new first years.  
  
Harry's scrutiny moved on and fell on the Ravenclaw table and he caught the eye of Cho Chang. A blush lit her cheeks suddenly and her eyes slid away from his liquidly. Harry turned his gaze away uncaringly. He had long since over came thoughts of Cho Chang. The next eyes he met were the misty ones of Luna Lovegood. She blinked at him a moment then smiles at him gently and pointed towards the Great Hall doors before standing herself and walked from the table the slipped out of the hall without another look at him.  
  
Harry watched the doors for a moment then rose as well. Ron and Hermione looked up from their bickering at him.  
  
"Where are you going?" From Ron.  
  
"I...I've gotta use the bathroom."  
  
"Harry." Hermione set him with a look. "You can't just walk out. The sorting hasn't finished yet."  
  
"Geez Hermione. Leave the guy alone. When you gotta go, you gotta go."  
  
"I'll be right back." Harry amended then walked away to Hermione's rolled eyes.  
  
He met Luna in the hall where she stood staring up at a huge painting of a black bearded man who seemed to be holding himself in a heroic pose just for her. She laughed slightly then turned her head when he walked up to her.  
  
"I thought you'd come. I wanted to show you something." She said quietly.  
  
"And just who is this young man Lady Luna." The painting inquired, breaking the pose to peer down at Harry. "Some healthy lad come to sweep you of your feet?"  
  
"I'd rather keep my feet on the floor. It was nice talking to you Lord Sebastian. Remember what I said about the Silver Winged Liefiers." She warned softly.  
  
The man in the painting bowed. "Of course my lady."  
  
Luna turned to Harry then. "Follow me." Walking down the corridor humming under her breath, the bells in her hair jangling noisily with each step. "You seemed detached at the feast so I thought you were bored."  
  
"You were too." He pointed out.  
  
"Oh, not really. Maybe detached but I wasn't bored exactly. I like listening to the clatter. It's lovely." Harry shook his head silently behind her.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"I found Lily's diary." Luna said simply. "And some of her clothes. They're all very nice."  
  
Harry froze, his whole body locking up in shock and his brain went numb. "Lily...."  
  
Luna glanced back at him quizzically. "Lily Evans. That's your mum's name. Didn't you know that?"  
  
"How did you..."  
  
"Her diary. Don't be foolish Harry please." Her tone almost tragically pleading.  
  
Harry closed his mouth and followed her silently, brooding. Diary? His mother's diary? Hidden. But how did Luna find it? And did she read it?  
  
As if she'd read his mind she said simply. "I didn't read anything other then the cover and the book plate inside." She stopped and reached out a moment and brushed her fingers over the stones of a wall then after the moment she hummed something musically and pushed and her hand sank right into the stone of the wall. Harry jumped in surprise and she threw him a strange look then retracted her hand, fingers curled around a brown, leather brown book.  
  
"Here." She held it out to him and Harry took it gingerly.  
  
The book was old. The brown leather was worn and coming of at the corners. The whole book was kept shut by a rusted silver buckle that chipped as he brushed fingers over it. And scrawled on the cover in chipped and faded gold letters was the name Lily Evans.  
  
"Luna." She didn't look up from where she was studying the wall intently but her eyebrow went up to show she was paying attention. "How did you find this?"  
  
"Oh. I dreamed it was here. So I thought I had better tell you. I hope you like it." She straightened. "I'd better be off then." She turned to start walking away.  
  
Harry reached out and caught her elbow. "Wait." She looked back at him. "I...thank you."  
  
She smiled again. Not her usual dreaming just-to-smile smile but a real one. "People should listen to the centaurs more often. They're so wise. Be careful not to dream dreams that have already passed." Harry didn't understand any of that but he watched her walk away easily with light curiosity as the urge to go after her and question her warred against the desire to start reading his mother's diary. The latter won out and Harry crept through the halls till he found a bend in the corner that would hide him if anyone came down the corridor. He slipped into it and pulled his knees up and undid the buckle on the book, brushing pieces of rust of his robes then bent the stiff spine and read.  
  
September 24th  
  
This is just perfect isn't it? Mabel gave me this diary at the end of last summer and this is the first time I'm using it. 2 days after her death. So this whole journal will be a long memory to her I suppose. No one will really remember Mabel in death because no one remembered her in life. No one except for me, and her sister Neomina and, of course, Remus. He wouldn't let anyone know but I saw the way he'd glance at her sometimes. And then I'd war between being upset with him for caring for Mabel in secret and being so mean to her in public. And I'd tell Mabel and she'd just smile and shake her head as if she knew something I didn't and just go one through her dreamy world as if floating.  
  
I always felt like a rock next to Mabel because she always seemed ready to just drift away into fantasies and I was so firmly rooted to reality. Neomina has lost herself to her studies now and I hope she'll come around soon. There's always something that helps everyone cope I suppose. Meanwhile I'll sit in back of class and draw hearts around Potter's name. James Potter. Arrogant and conceited....but charming. Then Eleanor reached over the shake my arm.   
  
"Lily!"   
  
I look up. "What?"   
  
"Potter's staring at you again." She giggled.   
  
I looked up and he was. He flashed me a grinned and winked which was echoed by a laugh from his friends and claps on his back. Of course it was nice to be noticed but not exactly like that so I simply sighed and looked away and tried going over his faults again. Arrogant. Conceited. And too charming. There's always a limit to everything. Even good things.  
  
September 26th  
  
Brianna has started up her dreams again. Usually it's funny, how she's so able to pick up stray thoughts of people. She's usually very playful about her gift but not this time. Her face was pale and ashen when she crept across the floor to lay a hand on me shoulder and shake me awake. I opened my eyes and looked up at her, shocked to see the tears that stained her cheeks.   
  
"Lily." Her voice was broken and horse as if she'd been muffling throaty sobs.   
  
"Brianna? What's wrong?" I shifted so I could sit up and watched her. She lifted a trembling hand to brush away wisps of shadow black hair.   
  
"Everything was burning Lily. You...and...a house. And there was crying. So much crying from everyone. And shadows ran red with blood and moonbeams were stained scarlet and then the moon itself burned and His name was scrawled across the sky in shimmering gold that ran as if the sky was weeping to wash the name away." She trembled as new sobs racked her and I felt a shiver of fear go through me and I patted the bed and let her climb up onto it and curl next to me.   
  
I waited till her tears stopped before I asked her quietly. "Whose name?"   
  
"The Lord of the Darkness." Her voice husky with fear.   
  
Another tremor of terror went though me. Burning? Blood? All symbolisms I was sure, but were they worst or not as bad as Brianna believed. I didn't doubt her. I never did. Despite the games she plays sometimes she's always right. I just hoped that this time she was inaccurate. 


End file.
